Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the impeachment inquiry, Ukrainian election interference, a new agreement in Chile, the Bolivian protests against the ongoing coup, and the mass killings in Gaza this week. Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovich testified today before the House impeachment committee. Yovanovich said that she was encouraged to tweet supportively about President Trump and when she didn’t do so, she was recalled and her career effectively ended. That was apparently at the urging of presidential pal Rudy Giuliani. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil.” joins the show. The public is beginning to learn more about Bolivia’s interim president Jeanine Añez. She declared herself president after all of Bolivia’s constitutional successors resigned in what was a military and police coup that overthrew President Evo Morales. Añez is a born again evangelical Christian and opponent of participatory democracy, but only if you happen to be indigenous or leftist. Meanwhile, in Chile, the Congress has reached an agreement to reform the constitution, which would become “100 percent democratic,” compared to the current constitution, which was passed during the dictatorial regime of Augusto Pinochet. Brian and John speak with Patricio Zamorano, an academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA. UK nationals voted three and a half years ago to leave the European Union, an action that has become known as Brexit. The decision has upended British politics and has polarized the country. Now we’ve learned of an unpublished UK government report on alleged Russian influence in the Brexit vote. The report was compiled by the British intelligence services. But why keep it a secret? Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley planned an event at George Washington University this week to promote her new book -- and her future political career. But students activists used the event to denounce her record as a strident defender of U.S. war and aggression around the world. Hajira Asghar, a George Washington University student and steering committee member with Students Against Imperialism, joins Brian and John. It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com, and Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce.”The way yesterday’s first day of impeachment hearings went depends on your political viewpoint. CNN and MSNBC say that the testimony included bombshells about President Trump and his quid pro quo from two career diplomats that have upended the entire story. Fox says the hearings were boring and pointless and didn’t tell us anything important or that we didn’t already know. There were no hearings scheduled for today, but former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovich, whom President Trump recalled as ambassador months ago, will testify tomorrow. Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show. Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday that he would enter the Democratic presidential race. This is just days after former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg did the same. And a new poll from Iowa has shocked the race by showing South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg in first place there. Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden released his infrastructure plan and attacked Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, calling her “angry” and thus unfit to be President. Brian and John speak with Jacqueline Luqman, the editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, whose livestream is on every week on Facebook and Youtube. The situation in Bolivia continues its sharp move to the right, as self-proclaimed president Jeanine Anez, along with military and police leaders, continue to crack down on indigenous people and leftists. With thousands of protestors in the streets, exiled President Evo Morales urged Anez not to “stain herself with the blood of Bolivians.” And despite talk that Morales may seek to return to Bolivia, countries around the world are beginning to recognize the Anez government. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show. Police in Washington yesterday tried unsuccessfully yesterday to arrest our friend Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of the peace group Code Pink. They failed because they had no arrest warrant. But they made the ridiculous allegation that Medea had assaulted Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz at a press conference Wasserman Schultz attended in support of Venezuelan presidential pretender Juan Guaido. This action by the Washington DC police fits a new pattern, whereby truthtellers are being falsely arrested and charged with crimes after a massive show of police force just to silence them and to frighten others. Medea Benjamin, a well-known peace activist and the cofounder of the peace group Code Pink, joins Brian and John. Violence in Hong Kong continues to worsen, with protestors making and practicing throwing petrol bombs in a dry swimming pool on a university campus. The level of unrest and destruction in the almost six-month-long protest has reached new heights in recent days, with the Chinese state media warning protestors that they are “at the edge of doom.” KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.A regular Thursday segment deals with...

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.Public impeachment hearings began today on Capitol Hill as House members consider whether to impeach President Trump for his actions in seeking a Ukrainian government investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden. Career State Department diplomats testified today on the alleged quid pro quo of an investigation for military aid. Jeanine Anez, a right-wing rival of Bolivia’s ousted president Evo Morales, declared herself President of Bolivia yesterday as anti-coup protesters tried to storm the Congress building. The heads of the army and national police vowed to support her, but Morales loyalists in the legislature boycotted the legislative session in which she declared herself president. Morales, meanwhile, is now in exile in Mexico. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, joins the show. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is meeting at the White House today with President Trump. It’s the first meeting between the two since Turkey invaded Syria that angered members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Trump and Erdogan discussed Syria, the fight against ISIS, and, according to the media, ways in which Turkey can weaken US military sanctions against it. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement. Israeli forces bombed targets in Gaza overnight and Gazans retaliated with rocket attacks after Israelis killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader yesterday. The clash is threatening to escalate into a major conflict despite Egyptian efforts to mediate between the two sides. The Palestinian death toll continues to rise, meanwhile, with 24 dead and at least 70 wounded. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins the show. Demonstrations in Hong Kong escalated to an unprecedented level over the past several days as clashes between police and demonstrators paralyzed the city’s transportation networks and closed schools and universities. The Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized a Congressional resolution supporting the demonstrators and urged the US to mind its own business. And a Hong Kong police spokesman said the rule of law is “on the brink of collapse.” KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins Brian and John. Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including impeachment, the supreme court, and global protests. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Leo Flores, a Latin America campaign coordinator with the peace group Code Pink.Bolivian President Evo Morales arrived in Mexico yesterday, where he was granted asylum after being overthrown in a military coup. The coup took place at the urging of right wing opposition leaders and mutinying police officers. Every constitutional successor has resigned, leaving the opposition Senator Jeanine Áñez in nominal charge of the country now effectively ruled by a military junta. Attorneys representing presidential candidate and Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard have sent a letter to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demanding that Clinton retract a statement she made several weeks ago calling Gabbard a “Russian asset.” When challenged about the assertion, Clinton responded, “If the nesting doll fits..” Gabbard’s lawyers say the statement was defamatory, and they want a retraction. Meanwhile, two new likely entrants are trying to upset the Democratic presidential primary. Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net whose latest article is “Trump’s Syrian See-Saw: From Pullout to Pillage,” joins the show. Bill Ayers is Loud & Clear’s regular guest on “Education for Liberation” about the state of education around the country. But today he discusses the election victory of his son Chesa Boudin as district attorney of San Francisco, California. Against huge odds, and despite the fact that the police union spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat him, Chesa won the race and is expected to institute radical reforms that will bring a fairness in sentencing that has not been previously seen. Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.” Google over the past year has been secretly working with one of the largest health-care networks in America to collect and analyze personal health care data on millions of people across 21 states. In an initiative codenamed Project Nightingale, Google has collected lab results, diagnoses, and hospitalization records, patient names and dates of birth, among other information, all without the patients’ approval or even knowledge. Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins the show. In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the ongoing right-wing coup in Bolivia, the protestors in Hong Kong, Israel’s killing of a Palestinian leader, and the upcoming public impeachment hearings. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Dr. Dickinson is out this week. Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lee Camp, a writer, actor, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” which you can see on RT America, and online at leecamp.com, and Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the Democratic 2020 primary and the possible addition of Michael Bloomberg to the race, the ongoing mass demonstrations in Chile, tensions resulting from the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and more. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has indicated that he intends to enter the Democratic race for president. Bloomberg yesterday filed papers to contest the Alabama primary. Alabama has an unusually short filing deadline. Pundits are saying that Bloomberg has told friends that he doesn’t believe the current crop of Democrats has the wherewithal to defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 election. But critics are ridiculing the move as yet another deeply unpopular intervention by a billionaire into politics. Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is “Understanding Marxism,” joins the show. The Trump Administration this week sued Gilead Sciences, a pharmaceutical company that sells HIV prevention drugs that can cost up to $20,000 a year, saying the company is earning billions of dollars from research funded by taxpayers, without paying those taxpayers back. The government says Gilead has infringed upon patents owned by the Department of Health and Human Services and has fought attempts by HHS to license its patents and collect royalties. Brian and John speak with Jeremiah Johnson, the HIV Project Director for the Treatment Action Group. A Chilean police officer was arrested yesterday after shooting two students in ongoing demonstrations. Other police officers have been accused of beatings and a sexual assault and more than 2,000 protestors have been injured. Protestors are demanding economic equality and an end to corruption. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, protests continued, and one demonstrator died after falling from a parking garage. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil,” joins the show. Brazil’s top court ruled yesterday that former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva must be released from prison because no Brazilian can be incarcerated until he or she has exhausted all appeals. The ruling could lead to the release of thousands of prisoners besides Lula, and it seriously weakens the hand of right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro’s Justice Minister. Arnold August, a journalist, author and lecturer currently on an international speaking tour “U.S.-Venezuela-Cuba-Canada: The Geopolitics,” which has already stopped in 7 Canadian cities and in Havana, with further appearances in Venezuela and Ireland, joins Brian and John.It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”Open impeachment hearings start in the US House of Representatives in the inquiry into President Trump next week. The House Democrats likely have the majority they need to impeach Trump, but will that help their cause in the end? The trial for Roger Stone, President Trump’s advisor, is on its third day. Stone, a self described “dirty trickster,” is being charged with obstructing the Mueller investigation. What actually happened? Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show. Two former employees of social media giant Twitter have been arrested. The ex-employees are accused of spying for the Saudi government, using their access to the company’s data to gather information on dissidents. Brian and John speak with Ali al-Ahmed, the Director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs. Chinese and US negotiators appear to be within reach of an agreement that would result in the reduction of tariffs and lead to a final resolution to the trade war. But lingering doubts remain as officials from both sides scramble to find a suitable location for the “phase one” deal to be signed. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show. A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues. The Democratic primary is heating up as the leading candidates sharpen their attacks ahead of the first primaries and party elites frantically search for an adequate pro-establishment candidate. And on the Republican side, ousted former Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he will run for his old Senate seat in Alabama. Jacqueline Luqman, the editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, whose livestream is on Facebook and Youtube every week, joins the show.Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN) joins the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com. Democrats saw major gains in off-year elections yesterday. They won both houses of the Virginia legislature and appear to have won the Kentucky governorship. Meanwhile, Republicans are worried about a trend showing suburban women moving solidly to the Democrats. A lobbying firm representing Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian energy company that famously had Hunter Biden on its board of directors, referenced Biden’s role in the company when it contacted the State Department in 2016 to downplay concerns about corruption. The revelation, so far published only in the conservative media, is important because the lobbying took place at almost exactly the same time that then-Vice President Joe Biden was pressuring Ukraine’s president to fire a prosecutor in order to secure $1 billion in loan assistance. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson kicked off the country’s election campaign yesterday by saying that his Conservative Party would get Brexit “over the line” and would then unleash the UK’s real potential. Britain’s other main parties--Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Brexit Party--also began their campaigns, with Labour saying virtually nothing about Brexit. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show. Mass protests have effectively toppled the Prime Ministers of Lebanon and Iraq, but actions are continuing in both countries targeting government institutions and key infrastructure. A fierce debate over the political, social and economic future of these countries. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins Brian and John. Demonstrations resumed in Chile today as tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest government corruption, poor social services, and an end to economic inequality. Twenty people have died in clashes so far, but President Piñera is refusing demands to resign. Journalist Alina Duarte, on Twitter @AlinaDuarte_, joins the show.It’s time for In the News, where hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they focus on the elections yesterday, with big races in Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky, then take a broader perspective on elections — what does it mean that the largest bloc yesterday was actually nonvoters? Sputnik news analysts Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News and the author of the book “How I Lost, by Hillary Clinton.”Political operative Roger Stone’s trial started today with the beginning of the jury selection process. Stone is facing charges of lying to Congress in a case related to the Mueller investigation as well as witness tampering. But Stone maintains that he is being targeted for purely political reasons. Billionaire serial sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein is dead, but controversy over how he was able to escape justice for so long continues to swirl. Now, a newly leaked recording suggests that ABC News tried to suppress reports about his crimes. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show. Outrage is growing across the country about the case of Tania Romero, a Honduran immigrant who is battling cancer. She was arrested by ICE two months ago and is being held in a detention center in Georgia, where she is unable to access the life-saving medical care she needs. Brian and John speak with Christian Padilla Romero, Tania Romero’s son and a PhD student in Latin American history at Yale University. You can find the petition he’s circulating in support of his mother at www.action.mijente.net/petitions/ice-is-deporting-my-mother-who-is-recovering-from-stage-4-cancer. Supporters of Palestinian rights are criticizing Twitter’s decision to ban accounts related to the media outlet Quds News Network, which had hundreds of thousands of followers. This ban, along with a ban on Lebanese Al-Manar, have raised further concerns about censorship by social media giants. Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show. The Trump administration officially pulled out of the UN Paris climate accord yesterday, a move that fulfilled a longtime Trump administration pledge. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a rollback of rules and regulations on coal plants. The new rules will allow the coal industry to continue producing coal ash ponds, widely found to be harmful to nearby residents, who are often low income. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins Brian and John. Beyond Nuclear is a Loud & Clear regular segment about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.”Today is the 40th anniversary of the Iran Hostage Crisis, where Iranian students seized the American Embassy in Tehran and took 52 embassy officers hostage. That standoff lasted 444 days, and it permanently changed the scope of both US-Iran relations and American politics. And yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the Greensboro Massacre, where Ku Klux Klansmen, led by an FBI agent and an ATF agent, opened fire on a group of American communists in Greensboro, North Carolina, killing five. Nobody was ever brought to justice for the attack. Even as House Democrats on Thursday ratified an impeachment resolution against President Trump, a federal judge has slowed the pace of the inquiry by declining to rule on whether a key witness needed to testify before the House of Representatives. Instead, he gave all relevant parties several weeks to prepare their arguments. That means the hearings will likely last through the Christmas holidays. And how will all of this affect the 2020 election? Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil.”, joins the show. Rioting continued over the weekend in Hong Kong, with demonstrators attacking Xinhua, the Chinese state news service. Xinhua then called on authorities to take a tougher line with demonstrators. Meanwhile, protestors are calling on the US to help them. Brian and John speak with John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations. Two activists with the organization Veterans for Peace are trapped in Ireland, unable to return home due to criminal charges pending against them for engaging in anti-war protest. A renewed effort is underway to win their freedom. Gerry Condon, national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show. The hosts take a look at the big stories to watch in the week ahead. Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst and producer, joins Brian and John. The hosts continue the weekly segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the National Surveillance State are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, an activist, author and professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, as well as by Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek. They discuss the biggest stories of the week, including the wave of protests sweeping the world, U.S. military moves to pillage Syria’s oil resources, the 2020 Democratic primary, and more. Turkey and Russia began their first joint patrols on Friday in northeast Syria under a deal between the two countries that forced Kurdish fighters to evacuate a so-called “safe zone” on the Syrian side of the border. However, U.S.-Turkey joint patrols have reportedly also recently began. Peter Ford, former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show. Chesa Boudin is an attorney, writer, and lecturer specializing in criminal justice reform. And he’s now a candidate for San Francisco District Attorney. He’s running on a platform of ending cash bail, dismantling the War on Drugs, and restoring civil rights. Those positions have led to vicious attacks against him by the San Francisco police union, which has spent more than $650,000 to label him as “dangerous.” Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and author.Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis took to the streets of Baghdad today in the biggest anti-government demonstration since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Protests in which more than 250 have died over the past month have accelerated dramatically in recent days, drawing huge crowds across ethnic and partisan lines to reject the political parties that have governed the country since 2003. Protestors see the government as deeply corrupt, beholden to foreign powers, and responsible for daily privations. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, joins the show. The Organization of American States has begun an audit of Bolivia’s presidential election. Thirty electoral auditors will examine how the votes were cast and how they were tallied. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is stepping up threats that supporters of President Evo Morales fear could culminate in a coup attempt. Patricio Zamorano, Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, joins Brian and John. Finally, the hosts look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News at lefti.blogspot.com, joins the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net.The House today voted to move forward on a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump. The inquiry will include public hearings and will end with a formal vote on impeachment. Meanwhile, Republican senators are adopting a more sober tone on impeachment.Twitter announced yesterday that it was banning all political ads on its platform as the public debate over the role of social media in politics continues. The company presented their move as a way to protect democracy, but will this end up shutting out grassroots organizers who would have no choice but to rely on much more expensive traditional media outlets? Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist, joins the show. Protesters in Lebanon continue to take to the streets as the political elite are thrown into a state of deep uncertainty following the resignation of Prime Minister Hariri. What’s in store for the next phase of the Lebanese uprising? Brian and John speak with Rania Masri, a professor, writer and environmental scientist who has been active in the protest movement. The peace process in Colombia between the government and the former rebel FARC continues to be deeply imperiled as paramilitary assassinations of former combatants and social leaders continues. But the recent local elections dealt a blow to far-right President Ivan Duque, who is an avowed opponent of peace. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice and has been deeply involved in supporting the Colombian peace process, joins the show. We continue our weekly segment dealing with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Karl Grossman, space expert and professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, joins Brian and John. The hosts dig into one of the most pressing issues facing the people of the United States: the domination of the media by a tiny handful of corporations. From the 2020 election to climate change and perhaps in the most glaring way war and international events, the corporate media serves as a mouthpiece for the rich and powerful and the Pentagon. Lee Camp, host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” joins the show.The hosts continue our weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where we talk about the most egregious conduct of the courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Brian and John speak with Kevin Gosztola,a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News magazines.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bijan Vasigh, a professor of air transportation at Embrey-Riddle University, an expert on aviation issues, a consultant to some of the biggest airlines in the world, and the author of dozens of academic papers and books.The CEO of Boeing continues his testimony on Capitol Hill today as outraged family members of the victims of the Lion and Ethiopian airlines crashes demand justice. The CEO is attempting to assure the public that all the problems have been fixed with the Boeing 737 Max Jet, but will there be real accountability for the tragedies? Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi appears to be on his way out of office as the two largest blocs in parliament announced they are withdrawing their support for his government. Political leaders are responding to the massive wave of protests that have engulfed the country and persisted despite deadly repression. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show. The National Park Service recently pulled the proposed anti-protest rules that they had announced, after public outrage and tens of thousands of public comments. The rules would have crushed public protest in the nation’s capital, and legal groups were suing the rules as unconstitutional. Brian and John speak with Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, the law firm leading the fight against the unconstitutional protest rules. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned yesterday in light of mass protests, but President Michel Aoun has asked Hariri government to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed. The president will deliver a speech to the nation on Thursday as demonstrators stay in the streets demanding the ouster of the traditional political elite and an end to the sectarian system that dominates the country’s politics. Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party, joins the show. The Trump administration has settled on a brazenly colonial strategy towards Syria: take the country’s oil. The Pentagon now says that it will continue to occupy the country to control Syria’s oil wealth, despite its withdrawal from strategic towns along the border with Turkey. Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law and author of the book “Destroying World Order: US Imperialism in the Middle East Before and After September 11,” joins Brian and John. Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Jacquie Luqman, the co-editor in chief of Luqman Nation and a host on The Real News Network, and Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, a well-known peace activist and the cofounder of the peace group Code Pink.Journalist Max Blumenthal, a good friend of this show, was arrested on Friday on completely fabricated charges that he assaulted a pro-Juan Guaido protestor in front of the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington last spring. Max was finally released from Washington, DC’s central jail over the weekend. But his arrest and coming prosecution says a lot about the lengths to which anti-democratic forces in our own government are willing to go to silence dissent. US troops will remain in Syria, ostensibly to “guard” Syria’s oilfields. This is despite President Trump’s protestations that he wants to end US military involvements overseas. Meanwhile, more details continue to emerge from Saturday’s special forces operation that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at popularresistance.org, joins the show. Britain’s Labour Party announced that it will support Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s call for early elections. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had said earlier that the party would oppose early elections, but he changed his position in advance of a formal vote this afternoon because Johnson met his demand to take a no-deal Brexit off the table by asking for a deadline extension. The vote already is seen as a last ditch attempt by both sides to either affirm or reject Brexit. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran. Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’d al-Hariri announced his resignation today in the face of massive protests against government corruption, high taxes, and a lack of economic opportunities. Meanwhile, huge protests continue in Chile and Iraq, with the Chilean cabinet already having resigned and another 18 demonstrators were killed overnight in Iraq. Jamal Ghosn, the former managing editor of al-Akhbar English, and Andrea Alvarado, a member of the central committee of the Social Convergence Party and has been in the Chilean demonstrations, join the show. Australian regulators accused Google today of misleading consumers about its collection of their personal location information through its Android mobile operating system. The lawsuit is the first of its kind by a government against a tech company for its use of subscribers’ personal data. Consumer groups in Europe have been suing Google for several years over the same locational tracking issue. Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, which you can learn about and support at mygoogleresearch.com, joins Brian and John. Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.President Trump yesterday gave a highly unusual press conference to announce that a special forces operation the night before resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. After a short statement, the President launched into a highly detailed-and probably highly classified--account of how Baghdadi was killed. He insulted Baghdadi and went on to talk about the US invasion of Iraq, advocating taking Iraq’s oil, which would be a war crime. Russian student Maria Butina was finally released from prison over the weekend. She had been incarcerated since July 2018 for failing to register as a foreign agent. Butina was targeted by the Justice Department, smeared in the press, given a sentence greater than the maximum recommended by law, and will finally be expelled from the United States. Robert Driscoll, who leads the Washington DC office of the law firm of McGlintchey Stafford, represents Maria Butina, and is a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States and former chief of staff of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, joins the show. A former deputy to former National Security Advisor John Bolton defied a subpoena over the weekend and is refusing to testify in the House impeachment inquiry. Meanwhile, the parallel investigation being done by US Attorney John Durham turned criminal in its focus over the weekend. Brian and John speak with Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers. European Union leaders agreed today to extend the date of Brexit to January 31, meaning the UK will not leave on Thursday, as originally planned. The announcement comes as members of parliament are meeting on vote on a proposal by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to hold early elections on December 12. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show. Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John. In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the reaction to the U.S. special forces raid that killed the leader of ISIS, the extension to the Brexit deadline and crucial elections around the world. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Brian and John speak with web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is “Understanding Marxism.”Countries around the world are rising up against increasing income inequality and lack of economic opportunities, especially for young people. What are the economics behind the protests in Haiti, Lebanon, Chile, Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Iraq? Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the situation in Syria, impeachment, the Chicago teachers strike, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show. The Department of Justice has reportedly decided that the Russiagate probe will become an official criminal investigation. The initial review was begun in May by Attorney General William Barr due to signs of potential misuse or abuse of power by US intelligence agencies. Brian speaks with Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast. Political prisoner Maria Butina has been released today after serving over a year in prison, most of which was in solitary confinement. She was accused of failing to register as a foreign agent and slandered by the corporate media. Her case became a main component of the now-debunked Russiagate narrative. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose most recent article is “The Empire Steps Back,” which is at Counterpunch and thepolemicist.net, joins the show. The Chilean elite is in a state of panic, offering both concessions and violent repression to tamp down the most intense wave of protest since the end of the Pinochet dictatorship. But demonstrators are demanding a complete overhaul of the political system and the convocation of a constituent assembly. Journalist Alina Duarte, on Twitter @AlinaDuarte_, joins Brian. Major developments in the unrest in Hong Kong continue to unfold. This week, the Taiwanese alleged killer whose extradition case from Hong Kong sparked the demonstrations was released from prison, and reports circulated that Chinese central government authorities were planning to oust Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam early next year. K.J. Noh is a long time activist working on global justice issues, writer, teacher, and a member of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.